Solid Waste Management MCQ with answer and solution

Concept

Municipal solid waste contains various materials; items like plastics (PET), metals (aluminum), electronics/batteries, and organics (food waste) can all be diverted from landfills through recycling and recovery processes.

Step-by-step solution

1. Analyze item 1: PET bottles are thermoplastics that can be melted and reshaped, making them recyclable. 2. Analyze item 2: Aluminum cans are made of metal, which has an established and highly efficient recycling loop. 3. Analyze item 3: Batteries contain valuable metals and chemicals that are recovered through specialized battery recycling programs. 4. Analyze item 4: Food waste is biodegradable organic matter that is routinely recycled through composting or energy recovery. 5. Conclude that all listed items are recyclable, making option (C) correct.

Explanation

PET bottles (plastic), aluminum cans, and certain types of batteries (like lead-acid or rechargeable lithium-ion) are widely recyclable through proper processing facilities. Food waste is also organic waste that can be recycled via composting or anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and fertilizer.

Why the other options are wrong

A: Omits batteries and food waste which are also recyclable. B: Omits food waste which is recyclable via composting. D: Omits PET bottles and batteries which are both recyclable.

Shortcut

Think about modern waste segregation bins: plastics, metals, e-waste/batteries, and wet/organic (food) waste all have distinct recycling pathways.

Common mistake

Students often assume food waste is merely trash rather than organic material that can be recycled via composting.